1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wireless communications. In particular, the present invention relates to control of the Quality of Service (QoS) for wireless communications.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional wireless communication networks suffer from the problem of static, limited traffic classification capability. FIG. 1 shows a network having a plurality of application provider networks (APNs) 100-1 to 100-n connected to a Gateway GPRS Service Node (GGSN) 440 through respective QoS controls 110-1 to 110-n. Communication services are provided to terminals 160 through corresponding radio access networks 150 and Service GPRS Service Nodes 130. The radio access networks 150 may be R99 compliant GPRS networks including a base station system or 3GPP R99/R4 compliant WCDMA radio access networks. A Home Location Register (HLR) 140 contains one QoS profile for each APN 100.
At least some of terminals 160 are likely to be unable to make any QoS request, or to make a QoS request for different communication services. Thus, the communications services cannot depend on a traffic class based classification from the terminals 160. Instead, the network applies the same HLR based QoS control for all services provided by a single APN and is not able to give differentiated treatment for Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) browsing and Multimedia Media Messaging Service (MMS) from the same APN even if HLR 140 can set the maximum QoS profile per traffic class. Such a static HLR based control is not service-aware and has disadvantages. It is not possible to achieve differentiated treatment for different types of service usage within one traffic class and the network is sufficient only for short-term simple communication services.
The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has attempted to provide for policy based admission control in Release 5 of their specifications. See www.3gpp.org. This specification includes a Policy Control Function (PCF), which although a separate logical entity from the Proxy Connection State Control Function (P-CSCF), is described as being a physical part of the P-CSCF in Release 5. FIG. 2 illustrates the implementation of the PCF as part of the P-CSCF 180. Consequently, policy based admission control is only available for communication services provided through the IP multimedia subsystem and only the IP multimedia subsystem may request resources of the radio access network (for example, GSM or UMTS) for the communication services. The Gateway GPRS Service Node (GGSN) 440 initiates policy requests at packet data protocol (PDP) context activation or modification. For QoS control of a PDP context, the PCF of the P-CSCF/Policy Control Function 180 sends an indication of the maximum allowable QoS to the GGSN 440, and the GGSN then sets a QoS (no higher than the maximum allowable QoS) for the PDP context.
The 3GPP TS 23.207 (V5.50 (2002-09) and TS 29.207 V5.1.0 (2002-09) describe the function of the PCF. These publications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
The policy control procedure of 3GPP Release 5 of the PCF is described in more detail in FIG. 3. This policy control procedure comprises the following six steps:                1. A SIP message containing SDP payload is received by the P-CSCF 210. The Session Description Protocol (SDP) payload includes the session QoS related information such as media type and bit rate.        2. The PCF 220 is a decision point and authorizes the required QoS resources for the session and installs the IP bearer level policy based on information from the P-CSCF 210. The PCF 220 generates an authorization token and sends the token to the P-CSCF 210. Upon successful authorization of the session, the P-CSCF 210 forwards (the methodology is not illustrated, but is well known) the SDP payload to the UE 160 for the originating side, with the authorization token.        3. The UE 160 sends an Activate (Secondary) PDP Context Request to the SGSN 130 with the UMTS QoS parameters. The UE 160 includes the Binding Information (authentication token and flow IDs) in the Activate PDP Context Request. The SGSN 130 sends the corresponding Create PDP Context Request to the GGSN 440.        4. The GGSN 440 sends a Common Open Policy Service Protocol (COPS) protocol REQ message with the Binding Information to the PCF 220 in order to obtain relevant policy information. The message includes a token and flow identification(s).        5. The PCF 220 sends a COPS decision (DEC) message back to the GGSN 440. A DEC message from the PCF 220 to the GGSN 440 contains decision objects. A Decision object shall include one of the following commands:                    NULL Decision (No configuration data available)            Install (Admit request/Install configuration, Commit)            Remove (Remove request/Remove configuration)            These commands are used to: (a) Authorize QoS/Revoke QoS authorization for one or more IP flows (b) Control forwarding for one or more IP flows                        6. The GGSN 440 maps IP flow based policy information into PDP context based policy information and uses the PDP context based policy information to accept the PDP activation request, and sends a Create PDP Context Response message back to SGSN 130. The SGSN 130 sends an Activate (Secondary) PDP Context Accept to UE 160.        
The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is currently developing Release 6 of their specifications, including enhanced policy based admission control. It has been proposed to separate the PCF 220 from P-CSCF 210 so that services other than those provided through the IP multimedia subsystem could benefit from the policy based admission control.
A method of providing services to user equipment in a communications network including a database storing subscriber information regarding users of the user equipment obtaining the services, a policy enforcement entity to which the user equipment is coupled to obtain connection to sessions and a policy decision entity which is coupled to the policy enforcement entity and to the database which determines policy governing the providing of the services from at least one network or server coupled to the policy decision entity, in accordance with the invention includes providing from the database to the policy decision entity the subscriber information regarding permitted conditions for the users to obtain the services; providing service provider information from the at least one network or server regarding the services offered to the user equipment, which is utilized by the policy decision entity; and forming policy rules at the policy decision entity based upon the subscriber information and the service information; and wherein a requesting user equipment transmits a request for a session to the communications network which is processed by the policy decision entity in accordance with the policy rules to determine if a session is to be allowed and if the session is allowed determining characteristics of the service to be provided to the requesting user equipment and the policy enforcement entity enforces at least one characteristic of an allowed session upon the communication network to insure that the allowed session obtained by the requesting user equipment has the at least one characteristic of the allowed session. The policy decision entity may be a policy control function. The policy enforcement entity may be a Gateway General Packet Radio Access Node (GGSN). The subscriber information may comprise allowed services which may be provided to the user equipment by the at least one network or server. The allowed services may be defined by a service name, a quality of service class and a bit rate at which the requested session is provided to the requesting user equipment by the at least one network or server. The subscriber information may comprise allowed services which may be provided to the user equipment by the at least one network or server. The list of services may include a service name, quality of service class and an allowed bit rate is processed by the policy decision entity as part of forming the policy rules. The service information may comprise quality of service information. The quality of service information may comprise bandwidth. The service information may comprise quality of service information. The policy rules may be default policy rules when the subscriber information is not available which is not dependent upon information the varies with different subscribers. The communications may be a packet switched network.
A system for controlling the providing of service to user equipment in accordance with the invention includes a communication system including a database storing subscriber information regarding subscription of users of the user equipment to obtain sessions of the services, a policy enforcement entity to which the user equipment is coupled to obtain the services, and a policy decision entity which is coupled to the policy enforcement entity and to the database; and at least one network or server which is coupled to the policy decision entity that provides the sessions of the services to the user equipment through the policy decision entity; and wherein the at least one network or server provides service information to the policy decision entity regarding the sessions of the services which are offered to the user equipment, the database provides the stored subscriber information to the policy decision entity regarding subscription of the users of the user equipment to obtain the sessions of the services provided by the at least one network or server, the policy decision entity formulates policy rules defining characteristics of the sessions which may be obtained by users of the user equipment from the at least one network or server in response to the subscriber information and the service information and the policy enforcement entity in response to the policy rules enforces the obtaining of the sessions of the services by the user equipment through the wireless system in accordance with at least one characteristic. The policy decision entity may be a policy control function. The policy enforcement entity may be a Gateway General Packet Radio Access Node (GGSN). The characteristics may comprise a name of service, quality of service and a bit rate of the session to be provided to a requesting user equipment. The subscriber information may comprise allowed services which may be provided to the user equipment. The allowed services may be defined by information including a service name, a quality of service class and a bit rate at which the requested session is provided to the requesting user equipment. The service information may comprise quality of service information. The communications network may be a packet switched network.
In a system for controlling the providing of services to user equipment comprising a communication system including a policy enforcement entity to which the user equipment is coupled to obtain the services, and a policy decision entity which is coupled to the policy enforcement entity and to a database, and at least one network or server which is coupled to the policy decision entity that provides the services to the user equipment through the policy enforcement entity, an entity in accordance with the invention includes a database in the communication system which stores subscriber information regarding subscription of users of the user equipment to obtain the services from the at least one network or server; and wherein the at least one network or server provides service information to the policy decision entity regarding the services which are offered to the user equipment, the database provides the stored subscriber information to the policy decision entity regarding subscription of the users of the user equipment to obtain the services provided by the at least one network or server, the policy decision entity formulates policy rules defining characteristics of the services which may be obtained by users of the user equipment from the at least one network or server in response to the subscriber information and the service information and the policy enforcement entity in response to the policy rules enforces the obtaining of the services by the user equipment through the system in accordance with at least one characteristic. The policy decision entity may be a policy control function. The policy enforcement entity may be a Gateway General Packet Radio Access Node (GGSN). The characteristics may comprise a name of service, quality of service and a bit rate of the session to be provided to a requesting user equipment. The subscriber information may comprise allowed services which may be provided to the user equipment. The allowed services may be defined by information including a service name, a quality of service class and a bit rate at which the requested session is provided to the requesting user equipment. The service information may comprise quality of service information. The quality of service information may comprise bandwidth. The communications system may be a packet switched network.
In a communications system including a policy enforcement entity to which user equipment is coupled to obtain connection to services and a policy decision entity which is coupled to the policy enforcement entity which determines policy governing the providing of the services from at least one network or server coupled to the policy decision entity, wherein service information is provided from at least one network or server, regarding service offered by the at least one network or server to the user equipment, which is utilized by the policy decision entity to formulate, policy rules based upon subscriber information and the service information, and a requesting user equipment transmits a request for a service with at least one of the at least one network or server which is processed in accordance with the policy rules to determine if the service is to be allowed and if the service is allowed determining characteristics of the service to be provided to the requesting user equipment and the policy enforcement entity enforces at least one characteristic of an allowed service upon the communication network to insure that the allowed service obtained by the requesting user equipment has the at least one characteristic of the allowed service, a method in accordance with the invention includes providing from a database to the policy decision entity the subscriber information regarding permitted conditions for the user equipment to obtain the service which is used by the policy decision entity as part of the formulation of the policy rules; and providing services to the user equipment in accordance with the at least one characteristic of the allowed service. The policy decision entity may be a policy control function. The policy enforcement entity may be a Gateway General Packet Radio Access Node (GGSN). The subscriber information may comprise allowed services which may be provided to the user equipment by the at least one network or server. The allowed services may be defined by a service name, a quality of service class and a bit rate at which the requested session is provided to the requesting user equipment by the at least one network or server. The subscriber information may comprise allowed services which may be provided to the user equipment by the at least one network or server. The requests for services may be transmitted to the policy enforcement entity and from the policy enforcement entity to the policy decision entity; and wherein an identification and an access point name of the at least one network or server from which the service is requested may be transmitted to the policy decision entity and to a system, including the database, which in response thereto transmits a list of services allowed to be provided to the requesting user equipment. The service information may comprise quality of service information. The quality of service information may comprise bandwidth. The requests for services may be transmitted to the policy enforcement entity and from the policy enforcement entity to the policy enforcement entity; and an identification and an access point name of the at least one network or server from which the service is requested may be transmitted to the policy decision entity and to a system, including the database, which in response thereto transmits a list of services allowed to be provided to the requesting user equipment. The communications system may be a packet switched network.
Like reference numerals identify like parts throughout the drawings.